1. Field
This invention is related to devices for controlling exercise machines and more particularly controls for regulating the performances of exercises by the user in operating the exercise machine.
2. State of the Art
Exercise machines such as treadmills and stationary exercise cycles are widely available and include a variety of features and operational controls. For example, typical treadmills include controls to vary the speed of the tread as well as some type of structure to vary the angle of inclination of the treadmill surface. Adjustments to the angle of inclination are made from time to time in order to regulate what may be viewed as the resistance or the degree of difficulty or hardness of the exercise being performed by the user on the treadmill.
Stationary exercise cycles typically involve some type of flywheel or other rotating mechanism which offers an inertial resistance to simulate what a user might experience if actually pedalling a bicycle on available terrain. In order to simulate uphill travel, and to otherwise simply increase the hardness or degree of difficulty of the exercise being performed on the exercise cycle, resistance structure is typically associated with the flywheel or other rotating mechanism to impose a resistance and in turn vary the degree of difficulty or hardness being experienced by the user while pedalling the stationary cycle.
It appears to be generally accepted that an exercise program undertaken on a regular or repetitive basis over time is a preferred format to secure the best results from the exercise. In order to undertake such a program, it is frequently desirable to perform the same exercises for the same period or increased periods of time or to vary or increase the degree of difficulty for substantially the same time period. In other words combinations of difficulty and duration of selected exercises may be used to start an exercise program to obtain desired goals.
It is presently understood that the pulse rate of the user is a substantial and critical indicator of the level of exercise being undertaken and also an indicator of the degree of benefit being secured thereby. That is, low pulse rates may not be as beneficial to the user as a higher pulse rate exercise even though the degree of difficulty or hardness being imposed is not significantly increased or different.
An exercise control console is therefore desirable to monitor and display to the user the actual heart rate and in turn the benefit being secured from the exercise. An exercise controller is also desirable to regulate the resistance of the involved exercise machine in order to regulate the pulse rate of the user.